Digital Exclusive Cover: R&B and Soul-Pop Artist Raiche Wants You to ‘Pick A Side’ With Her New Single and Unique Sound
Timeless is the first word that comes to mind when you hear the singer and songwriter known as Raiche.
You instantly know that her sound is unique and that what she’s got, is what makes for a recipe of a legend. With a haunting maturity, you can hear her life and musical journey in your soul’s center as she serenades with a soul-pop and R&B sound. Born and raised in the small town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, two hours outside of Boston, this immense talent made her way to Atlanta to live her dream creating music, but it didn’t come without ups and downs, and the support of those close to her making sure she stayed on track.
Raiche first came onto the music scene in 2018, with a viral cover of “Chasing Pirates,” which became an overnight sensation. She secured a deal with Genre Defying Entertainment as only the start of something big, as she made her way to also signing with Island Prolific/Atlantic Records. She’s already toured with Pink Sweat$ on the Pink Beginnings Tour, opened for Jacquees, and had her 2019 record “Drive” featured in Netflix’s Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker.
This year, right after dropping her vlog-style quarantine-version music video of “Drive,” she released “Complicated,” which draws inspiration from the 1972 classic “I Miss You” by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Those are some heavy soulful shoes to fill, and we think Raiche accomplishes this effortlessly.
Fast forward to now, and Raiche has just released a brand new single sending a message to those who are just all talk, called “Pick A Side.” The song is produced by industry expert Menardini “Bridgetown” Timothee, known for working with Mary J Blige, Beyonce, and Trey Songz, and coproduced by araabMUZIK & Audio Anthem. This track is just one of many soon to be released singles. She also has an upcoming album she describes as her “Coming of Age” project, which is an “exploration of self-discovery, self-love, and self-acceptance.”
Read our exclusive interview below as Raiche graces our September cover to find out more on her journey, living her dream, influences, favs, isolation, positivity, self-love, and thoughts on our first Black and South Asian VP nominee.
GLITTER: What was it like growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and where do you reside or spend most of your time now?
RAICHE: Growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was quaint and very all-American small-town living. I went to a private Christian school and went to church every Sunday. As I got older, I explored a lot with friends and got into a little trouble here and there. Sneaking into Tanglewood every summer, walking barefoot to the lakes, and running in the woods. I recently relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, and am working full-time on my music.
GLITTER: Is there a special meaning behind your name?
RAICHE: My name is my grandmother’s maiden name. She had all sisters, and there was no one to carry the name. So my mother named me Raiche to carry the family legacy.
GLITTER: What is your background or heritage?
RAICHE: My mother is 100% French Canadian, and my father is Cameroon, Scottish, and Native American.
GLITTER: When is the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a singer?
RAICHE: The first moment I knew I wanted to be a singer was after a church play. I had my first solo, and everyone came up to me after and expressed how I sounded so beautiful…like an angel. It made me wonder about the possibilities and want to practice more.
GLITTER: When did you start writing and making music?
RAICHE: I started writing and pursuing music six years ago. It’s been a long road of ups and downs and many valuable lessons. I’m enjoying the ride.
GLITTER: Do you work with any specific songwriters?
RAICHE: I work with a couple of specific songwriters, Prince Charlez, Ava Grey, Kasey, Felly, Sir Charles.
GLITTER: What events happened after your high school graduation that almost paused your career, and what did you do to overcome them?
RAICHE: After high school, I went to work for my mom in our family business; she owned a salon and day spa. I worked there for two years after high school, and I didn’t think that I could actually pursue music. It was a great time in my life, hard and beautiful at the same time. I created an even stronger bond with my family.
GLITTER: What role did your covers on YouTube play in your rise to fame?
RAICHE: My covers on YouTube and Instagram were seen by Rhode Island-based DJ knockout, which in turn helped me get my production deal with Genre Defying Entertainment, which lead to my deal with Atlantic Records.
GLITTER: What role did your grandmother play in you heading to Boston, and how did you connect with DJ Knock Out?
RAICHE: Towards the end of my journey of working at home with my mom, I was in a bad relationship, it was really toxic. My grandmother felt that it was time for me to leave town; she thought I needed a fresh start, so I headed to Boston. Boston is where I met DJ KnockOut at a nightclub.
GLITTER: What was it like meeting and working with producer Prince Charlez, the man behind Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Usher?
RAICHE: Working with Prince Charlez really opened my eyes to the music industry, and he is an amazingly talented artist and, on top of that, has the biggest heart and understanding for other people.
GLITTER: What went through your mind when you were signed to Island Prolific imprint at Atlantic Records, and would you consider that your big break?
RAICHE: He definitely felt it was “my big break,” but I also felt that I needed to work my ass off so it got really real then.
GLITTER: How would you describe your unique sound?
RAICHE: I like to describe my sound as soothing to the soul. I know many people have said that they just felt calm when hearing my voice, and that’s nice to hear, and I always hear my voice is timeless.
GLITTER: Who are your musical influences?
RAICHE: Bill Withers, Sade, Nancy Wilson, Lana Del Rey, and Adele.
GLITTER: What is your songwriting process like?
RAICHE: I think there are a couple of ways, but the main way would be to listen to the beat and underlying melodies on top of it and then fill it out with words.
GLITTER: Can you tell us about your 2018 hit “Money Pies” and describe the experience of making the video with the all-female Verluxe collective?
RAICHE: “Money Pies” was a really great experience. Looking back, I was so young and didn’t have much experience in the business. The Verluxe girls took really great care of me and made the video experience and the video itself extremely beautiful and put much care and effort into it the entire time.
GLITTER: What’s the message behind ”Complicated,” and what do you love most about the song?
RAICHE: I love how smooth and eclectic the song feels, and the meaning is about an ex of mine, one of my first loves. I realized how to stand up for myself and walk away from a bad, toxic situation.
GLITTER: What was it like performing on the “The Pink Beginnings Tour?”
RAICHE: I am incredibly grateful. To this day, I still don’t even know how it happened, but the Pink Sweat$ tour was an amazing blessing and the most exciting time of my career thus far.
GLITTER: Can you tell us what went into creating your debut EP DRIVE?
RAICHE: My EP DRIVE was a lot of me discovering myself, finding the drive within myself, and experiencing ups and downs of being young and positive.
GLITTER: What can you tell us about your new single and video “Pick A Side?”
RAICHE: My new single and video ‘Pick A Side’ is very exciting and precious to me. My team, my producer, and my writers and myself have finally stapled a sound. And the video is going to be exciting to release. I had the pleasure of working with an amazing director Maya Table. She’s is a creative boss lady. 💕✨
GLITTER: With everyone on isolation, what was the creative process like for the new video?
RAICHE: The process for the video was smooth. It was definitely a much smaller crew than usual, and everyone made sure to wear a mask and adhere to safety guidelines.
GLITTER: What do you hope fans take away from your music?
RAICHE: When I was going through my break up, I felt there were no current songs to help me get over my man…they were all about running back to him. So I hope that a lot of my songs help women get through the breakups, and they understand that they are boss women who do not need a man who does not understand they are to be treated as queens.
GLITTER: How are you connecting with fans during isolation?
RAICHE: To connect with fans, I’ve been trying to show more of my personality through quarantine. I want people to see I’m a regular young lady, and I just happen to have the gift of singing.
GLITTER: What would be a dream collaboration for you?
RAICHE: A dream collaboration would be to work with Khalid.
GLITTER: Who is your mentor?
RAICHE: I have a couple of mentors but definitely the women in my life, my manager April Love and my sisters. And, Prince Charlez inspires me.
GLITTER: Best advice you were ever given?
RAICHE: I overthink a lot with everything that I do in my life, so the best advice I was ever given was to stop thinking so much. Take it easy. Life has this perfect way of working things out.
GLITTER: How do you use your voice for change?
RAICHE: People look up to you when you have gifts, and I definitely want to use mine wisely. That requires me to double-check everything and make sure I truly believe in what I say and do.
GLITTER: Glitter has a Celebrity #SelfLoveCampaign. What does self-love mean to you?
RAICHE: Self-love to me is when you have the courage and strength to turn away from the thing that maybe feels good, but you know it is not good for you.
GLITTER: What are your thoughts on the #BlackLivesMatter movement? Any ideas or advice on how your fans can do their part to bring social change?
RAICHE: Extremely proud of my ethnicity and culture. I just hope that this movement will bring forever change. The best advice I think I can give to fans is to do their part and continually make the change to talk about it, even when it’s uncomfortable. Speak about it with your friends who may think differently than you. Speak about it with your family, your uncles, your aunts, mom, and dad. Because at the end of the day, it’s a lack of understanding and an overwhelming amount of misplaced pride.
GLITTER: How do you feel about our first Black female VP nominee Kamala Harris?
RAICHE: I’m excited to see what the first Black VP nominee can accomplish.
GLITTER: What message do you hope your music sends to fans?
RAICHE: I hope my music is an inspiration to my fans. I hope it gives them self confidence.
GLITTER: Who’s on your playlist right now?
RAICHE: Currently, Chloe and Halle, Pink Sweat$, Justin Bieber, Alex Mali, Austin Awake, O.T. Genasis, Victoria Monét, James Blake, and Coi Leray.
GLITTER: What’s a day in the life for you like on isolation?
RAICHE: A day in the life for me in isolation is early morning workouts, vocal lessons, singing all day, Tiktok’s and lots of DoorDash deliveries.
GLITTER: Favorite ways to find your Zen?
RAICHE: Recently, I’ve been doing hot yoga, and I love it.
GLITTER: First place you’ll go when isolation finally ends?
RAICHE: The first place I will go when isolation ends is to the movie theater!
GLITTER: What are your top binge-worthy shows?
RAICHE: Top-five binge-worthy shows are Euphoria, You, Avatar, and Working Moms.
GLITTER: Sage or Palo Santo?
RAICHE: Palo Santo.
GLITTER: Favorite flower?
RAICHE: Forget-me-nots, mainly because of the song 😂 , but they are very, very pretty!
GLITTER: What is your favorite brand or piece of jewelry?
RAICHE: I love jewelry…. rings specifically.
GLITTER: Kombucha or Green Drinks?
RAICHE: Ohhhhhh both.
GLITTER: Beach or Pool?
RAICHE: Beach.
GLITTER: Sweets or Savory?
RAICHE: Both. Specifically, at the same time. I like to go back and forth.
GLITTER: Favorite snacks?
RAICHE: French fries. Does that count as a snack?
GLITTER: Any fav skincare products?
RAICHE: Fenty Skin by Rihanna 😍.
GLITTER: Favorite hair care products?
RAICHE: Favorite hair care products are Moroccan Oil, Shea Moisture, and Redken.
GLITTER: What projects can you tell us about that you’re working on next?
RAICHE: Other than this new body of work, I will also be releasing a Christmas song that I am extremely excited for. I’ve always wanted to do Christmas songs.
GLITTER: Name one thing fans might not know about you?
RAICHE: I don’t know, maybe that I am extremely shy, but once they open up and I’m comfortable with you, I am wild and goofy.
GLITTER: Best social platform for fans to find you?
RAICHE: Best social platform to find me would be on my Instagram @mynameisRaiche, Twitter @mynameisraiche or my website mynameisraiche.com
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